A new Project Officer has been appointed to lead the team charged with designing the infrastructure for the University of Essex’s Knowledge Gateway (formerly known as the Research Park).

Andrew Hayward, who will be based in the University’s Estate Management Section, will work closely with a newly instructed team of property construction professionals to design the infrastructure to open up the 40-acre site by Spring 2011. This will involve a major new traffic signalised junction on the A133, several estate roads, distribution of all main services and all structural landscaping.

The Knowledge Gateway is being developed in partnership with Carisbrooke Alliance. A notice has been placed in the European Journal inviting interest from eligible contractors to implement the works. The chosen contractor will have to be on site by April 2010 to achieve the target date.

Andrew Hayward said: ‘It is a challenging timetable. Luckily we have an experienced professional team and the full support of both Colchester Borough Council and Essex County Council so we are confident of achieving this target’.

The Knowledge Gateway will be the new home for research and development and business space in Colchester, and will house the University’s flagship International Centre for Democracy, Peace and Human Rights.

The professionals appointed to develop the infrastructure of the Knowledge Gateway are: Northcroft as project manager, Rambolt as civil engineers, The Potter Raper Partnership as cost consultants, The Landscape Partnership as landscape architects and EC Harris as health as safety consultants.
Agents for the Knowledge Gateway are Whybrows and Carter Jonas.